Please for those who don't mind reading through my post, HELP?!

I need suggestions... I hate saying this but, I'm single and don't have a huge meal plan or grocery list..


Breads: I eat low cal whole gran and light breads

Fruits: can fruit and some fresh.

Veggies: Carrots, potatos, tomatos, frozen peas and corn, can green beans.

Beans: Can and dry. lentil, pinto, navy, black eye, and red.

Dry: cereal, but can't seem to stop myself from snacking on them, so I had to stop buying. Cream of wheat, I can control myself with this...

Liquids: sugar free like Wylers, etc.. coffee, tea, milk

Fish,eggs & poultry: can tuna mostly, sometimes can salmn. I love regular fish, just don't know what to put with it that will stick, so I hardly buy it. I want to buy it... sometimes turkey bologna, but got tired of feeling sleepy... A lot of skinless chicken breats, and sometimes drumsticks. eggs a lot<> I eat the whites

Dairy: Soy cheese, organic cow milk<> creamers, soy creamers..

Meats: started back recent, but not alot... Mostly lean ground beef is my favorite, sometimes hot dogs...

Soy meat products: meat balls, boca burgers, boca brats, morning starfarms meat subst.

Soups: Campbells, veg vegtable, Amy's and Ann's lentil and pea soups.

Misc. Crutons, raisins, healthy choice pasta sauce, lite drsgs Italian and french, FF cooking spray, pop corn, crackers I had to stop, sugar fr jams, and other healthy items..

That is what I usually buy... Same things I don't mind making or buying all the time, I just need good ideas to create new meals, that are bulky and stick. I don't mind venturing out with something different... I notice when I do venture out, it becomes fun...

I don't mind meat/ ground beef ideas, since I did start back.

I don't mind left-over ideas.

I'm on a budget, but most of all I'm a simple food person...

I always roast my chicken with veggies, but then, somtimes that gets old and not enough.. The soups are to hold me over until I can eat a real meal... I come and go with salads.. But, I only like lettuce, tomato, crutons and lite drsgs..

I never seem to make meals where there is a plate full of good healthy portions... I usually end of cheating myself out of a good meal... I take too little portions that add up in points, but not fill me with satisfaction..

I'm afraid to bring treats into my home lately, because I will beng.

I just thought to give you a small sample of my grocery list, eating, and cooking style... I did ramble, but I'm at my last ten pounds before goal, and I'm not doing too well at all.... My past of eating too too small portions that didn't satisfy me has caught up with me.. I've hit an almost dead end with food ideas, that I may never have had... If that makes sense...





Please excuse any mis spelled words?

Hi,

My lifesaver for filling me up is soup. I keep a pot in the fridge and microwave a bowl. You can cut the recipe in half. It keeps for about a week. I eat a lot of it and I have a family, so I go through 2 pots of it a week. Here's the recipe--

1 large can of fat free chicken stock
2 packages of frozen vegetables
2 cans of beans, well-rinsed
2 ounces orzo pasta (I weigh it.)
Whatever herbs, spices, I feel like putting in. Don't forget the salt and pepper, to taste.
Sometimes I put a can of diced tomatoes, basil, oregano and make a simple Minestrone. I use Cannelini beans for that recipe.

Cook the pasta separately. Combine all of the rest of the ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the veggies are cooked the way you like them. Add the pasta.

You'll have to figure out the points yourself because they vary depending on what veggies you put in it. It's very filling and low point. Sometimes I put potatoes or rice in it instead of the pasta. But don't omit the beans. They are what makes this soup keep you full for a long time with few points. (My combinations usually average 1 point per cup of soup. I'm following 123, though, so I don't cap the fiber.)

Good luck!

Lin

I'm following the prvious point system as well.. The 123 success...

I did discover I can have my beloved french fries without oil...

I just cut one whole potato in wedges or thin slices, sprinking season on them, spray the pan with pan and bake until golden brown or crispy moist... That is not new, but I just discovered it was ok to do this and enjoy... No egg white need or anything, just gold old seasonings...


But, please keep full meals coming...

Lin S, thank you...

what kind of beans do you put in the soup?

When I was losing my weight I bulked up with 0-point vegetables. If a recipe called for 2 cups of chopped vegetables, I'd double it. The end result was more bulk for less points. If a recipe didn't call for vegetables, like mac & cheese, I'd add spinach or broccoli just to get more bulk. I buy mass quantities of a variety of frozen vegetables this time of year to add to just about everything I cook. For convenience, I'll sometimes buy the Lean Cuisine Skillet Sensations, and add a cup or two of frozen vegetables to 1/2 bag of the Skillet Sensations and cook. It adds a lot of bulk, without the calories. If there's any way you can expand your list of vegetables, it would help a lot.

Soups are a great thing, as already mentioned. Not much unlike Lin's, one quick soup I'll make when I don't feel like fussing is to mix together:

1 can diced or stewed tomatoes
1 cup (or so) frozen vegetables (green beans, California blend, stir fry blend, whatever)
2 frozen chicken tenderloins (I get mine at Costco; no skin)
1 small cubed red potato (microwaved for a few minutes to jumpstart cooking) - OR -
1 serving dry pasta (orzo, already mentioned, is great in soup)
Herbs/Spices (cajun spice is one of my favorites)
Dash wine, if I have it on hand

I cook this pretty rapidly until the chicken is done and the potatoes/pasta are cooked, adding water to the consistency I like (less if I want a stew). When done, cut the chicken into chunks. This makes a VERY large, filling meal for 5-6 points. It's not gourmet, but it is something I make quite a bit in the winter for lunch or a quick dinner for myself. Sometimes, I'll do this kind of thing, making it very thick, and omitting the pasta/potato. I'll take this and serve it over a baked potato for a change of pace.

Since you use the soy meats, have you made chilis or burrito fillings with Boca or MSF crumbles? I love these products for this kind of thing. If I absolutely must have some beef in it, I'll mix ground sirloin half and half with the soy crumbles to get a lower point mixture that works great in a burrito. Make up a batch of filling and freeze in individual servings, so you can pull a pack out whenever you need.

Another quick, convenient product is the canned chicken and turkey you can find at Costco and Sams. I normally do not like canned meat, but these seem better and are great put on top on a lettuce/spinach salad (topped with some jarred, roasted red peppers-even better). They also make a great chicken/turkey salad when mixed with low-fat/fat-free mayo, herbs (I love curry in it), and vegetables. For variety, you can make a wrap out of the chicken salad using a tortilla and adding lettuce/tomato for more bulk. (I find, too, that I find corn tortillas to be more substantial and filling -and generally lower points- than the white flour tortillas.) Anyways, if that's not enough of a "dinner", you could sprinkle some low-fat cheese on top and heat it to make it more substantial.

Good luck, and I hope some of this helps. You're so close to goal! I've been at goal for nearly 2 years, and I find that I still have to mix things up to keep it interesting and to keep me motivated. It's a constant battle, definitely.

Yeah, I tried my beloved green beans to my soup, and it did bulk things up...


My next weigh in is next Saturday, I've been trying to remain calm... I ate too many pastries this past Tuesday, and had to give myself a good talking to all week as my co workers continued to bring them in... I stayed way below my points, to make up for over doing it Tuesday... Thank God! I made it through the week.. Now I have to make it through next week, and so on...




Again, I am really really appreciating all this support... You don't know how much I really am... I've been jumping all over the msg board encouraging others, but I'm really starting to settle in and asking for help for myself.

Hi,

Mollyc--I put whatever beans I feel like eating or have in the house or that I think will go with the flavors I'm using. I'm a "pinch of this and pinch of that"-type cook. So, I just ask myself what I think would taste good and put that together.

One thing I did that helped me to learn what might taste good together is to open bottles of herbs and spices and smell different combinations. The ones that smell good usually taste good, too. I also take herb/spice combinations from a recipe I like and use it in my soup. Recipes like stews, bean recipes, other soups etc. are good ones to get ideas from.

Anyway, if you listen to your "inner cook", as one of the cooking teachers in the cooking school I used to work at called it, you will be fine and discover a whole new creative part of yourself.

Enjoy!

Lin

Hi, after reading your post and all the wonderful ideas I thought of something that really helps bulk up a meal and make you feel full. You stated you used boneless skinless chicken breasts. I grill mine with lime juice and then slice in thin strips, put them in a warmed burrito wrapper with Sour Lean mixed with 1 T of taco seasoning, gobs of peppers and onions sauteed in a little chicken broth till tender and believe me ,you are full. I love all the suggestions here and find if I eat something hot I am more satisfied and lasts longer than say a cold sandwich, and best to you. You have done so well and just keep thinking of that. Let us know how you are doing..... Patti

Wow! You got so many great suggestions. I think many of us have come to the same conclusion. To bulk up a pasta dish, I use my own spaghetti sauce that is extremely simple:
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
onion powder
2-3 crushed garlic cloves
pepper
dash oregano
dash basil
and a bay leaf--
don't sweat the small stuff--just coming close to this will taste good.
Then I add fresh or canned mushrooms and end up with a free sauce that is yummy--no oil, no sugar

If I am really hungry, I put chopped peppers red or green or yellow, broccoli, etc. into the sauce. It really bulks up the macaroni and makes you much fuller. You could actually have two cups of pasta and lots of sauce and be pretty full. Start with a salad if you like that.

Another idea I've seen is to divide your plate into halves. On one half have veggies. On the other side, use a quarter for the protein and a quarter for a carb and you're all set.

Starting a meal with soup is a lifesaver, especially for me since I'm not crazy about salads.

Good luck and I'm sure you can do this. You're so close.

I am finding out soup and salads are great for me, they keep me from going crazy while heating or cooking my dinner.. I notice campbells veg vegtable soup is loaded with chunks of veggies... I will mix that can with another can low sodium more liquidy veg soup. Can that be counted as getting my veggies in, even though the veggies are cooked to death? I am not a fan of steamed veggies too much, but I will eat them... I do like grilled veggies..


Question... I don't own a griller... Are those pans with the little grooves good enough?

I really would be going financially out of my way getting a George grill, but I wouldn't mind getting one. Has anyone tried it?Any different way of getting a variety of veggies in my system would be great...

I love the chicken burrito idea... I can add refried beans to...


It really helps just to have these suggestions...



Thanks, Swan...

I had to hop in when I saw the note about the grill. They are amazing. A friend recently got one and it's all she uses. She'll cook chicken (quickly with no added fat) to add to salads. A quick grilled cheese sandwich using no oils is a quick 5 point meal and it's on an angle so if you are cooking burgers or something with fat it drains off into the tray. If you think you would use it - definately worth the price.
KT
PS - my old standby to fill me up cheap is potatoes with salsa and a little FF sour cream - you get a lot of potato for 3 points

sour cream and salsa on a potato.. Sounds yummeeee...

I may look into a George foreman after christmas..

I use the small George F. grill. It's only 20.00 at Target or Wall Mart. It's great for cooking hot dogs, chicken breasts, steaks, hamburger or turkey patties and vegetables. It's worth getting.
I too bulk up on soup. I do mine like ministroni, with the beans, pasta, spinich, lots of veg. herbs. All cooked in canned beef or chicken broth. I also add a can or two of V-8. To get the point count measure all the soup. Add up all the points in all your ingredients and then divide the number of cups of soup you made into the number of points. You will have the number of points per cup of soup. It turns out really low. Around one point per cup. I generally use one really large can of broth and one or two small ones to cook everything in. Another low point meal is salad on a dinner size plate, topped with tons of vegetables, beans and a can of water packed tuna. I like the idea from above of doing half the plate with vegetables, one forth protein and one forth carb. I also think eggs are a good point value. I do two in the morning with a one point piece of toast with brummel and brown and it's six points. It really holds me until lunch. Good luck everyone.

It truly is fun how we can get away with more by adding veggies. I've been knowing this, but just for some odd reason backed away... Why?

The other day I baked a potato with small portion of home made chili, when I do it it's low points, one table spoon of lean sour crm(even thought I could have two for 40 cal) and some other fixings, and that meal was so low in points but filling...
I am very pleased that I have talked to a lot of you, because it has reminded me what I need to do... Yes, I know... We have those books and little pamplets, but it's not the same as talking to actually people giving you their personal advise or information... I'm just really a person who needs encouragement... I can't seem to get this particular kind of encouragement from the meetings...


This week I actually stayed on the lower half of my points, well one day I used up all points... I will see tomorrow how I did. I hope some weight came off...

Good for you, Swan Lake. Regardless of the scale you've had a very successful week. I think I'll try that potato/chili idea myself!
Good luck!
234/210/thinner